Losing My Balance
by heartandcurls
Summary: Christmas party/Captain Swan fluffy one shot - nothing more to it


_So this idea wouldn't leave me alone and I'm supposed to be studying for my Social Development final. This is the result. Bear in mind that I started part of this a couple of weeks ago, dropped it, then got inspired (procrastination at it's best am I right?) so I just spit it out and threw it on here (I will probably come back and fix it when I'm finished school)._

_The song is Losing my Balance by Dean Brody and if you want to see Emma's dress, you can find it here (my cousin emailed this to me saying she wanted to wear it to prom and I changed her whole outfit because of it): . _

_Disclaimer: Adam and Eddy own the show and the characters so don't sue me._

* * *

_I'm at the edge of a cliff_

_And you've got me losing my balance_

She had to admit; her parents knew how to throw a hell of a party. Well, Mary Margaret knew how to throw a party and David knew how to keep her happy and sane. And Emma suspected that Belle had dragged Mr. Gold into the mix because she didn't know where all the books had gone.

The town library had been turned into a Winter Wonderland, with twinkling lights and jacked out Christmas trees in every corner. Tables clothed in white littered the outskirts of a large dance floor and someone had even set up a stage, where a live band (_was that Whale and Jefferson up there?) _was playing a strange medley of '80s hair band and Maroon 5.

Emma was currently hiding in a corner near the bar, nursing a whiskey and watching Ruby swing Henry around the dance floor with impressive force. The sheriff herself had avoided that area so far. Not that she was a bad dancer but she definitely didn't like being the centre of attention combined with limited mobility, thanks to the get-up that her mother had begged her to wear.

The old Emma Swan would have shown up in the dress from that fateful 28th birthday. The daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming had been stuffed into a rather festive red gown, with poinsettias and way too much tulle. Topped off with white gloves and a sparkly hair comb, she looked like the princess that she should have grown up as. Or at least that's what every single townsperson present was telling her. She actually felt like one of those Barbie dolls that came out around the holidays that you weren't supposed to play with, while Mary Margaret was strutting around in a green party dress with lacy sleeves. Come to think of it, Emma seemed to be the only one in full-on royal regalia. Everyone else just seemed to be wearing pretty dresses and monkey suits. Her mother would _definitely_ be hearing about this later.

Even Tinkerbell, who had made the trip back from Neverland with them almost two weeks ago, was wearing a more modern number compared to her fairy duds. She sidled up to Emma and plucked the empty glass out of her hand.

"Why are you hiding over here? Shouldn't you be mingling with all your subjects?"

"They are not my subjects. I'm the sheriff here, not the damn queen…"

"No, but you do look like a princess. It's different. Trying to impress someone?"

"No… I did it for Mary Margaret. She wanted all of this to be perfect and I figured I better just do as she said. I didn't want to be on the wrong end of one of her arrows."

"Well, you've definitely made an impression on a few people. Also, have you _seen_ the Captain?"

The fairy looked way too suspicious at this point, with that huge grin plastered across her face. Emma sided-eyed her before doing a visual sweep of the room, checking for black leather but came up with nothing. She knew that Mary Margaret had invited him, considering all the help he'd given to save Henry _and _Neal _and _David. It had all been because of Hook, though she wasn't sure if people could still called him that. Gold had kept his damn hand, like some sick trophy and Emma, under supervision of Regina, had been the one to reattach it (because _that_ hadn't been weird _at all_). That had been three days ago and he'd barely been able to thank her before some of the Lost Boys that had also come with them began to revolt at the nunnery and she'd had to play sheriff. She hadn't seen him since.

"No I haven't seen him. I'm surprised he hasn't shown up to mock me in this hot mess."

"Oh he's here, Emma. Just you wait. You'll be impressed I'm sure"

And she was off, flitting over to where Neal (because there seemed to be something going on there – funny how Neal had stopped "fighting" for her after she had done magic in the Dark Hollow and at Skull Rock) was talking with Belle and Gold. The fairy threw a wink over her shoulder before slipping an arm through Neal's and turning towards the group.

Things with Hook were complicated. Everything from Neverland was a blur: all the flirting, their kiss, his confession in Echo Cave, the Dark Hollow debacle and their conversation before the final battle. She'd told him again that Henry was her first priority; that they needed to get him out of there, that they'd figure everything out when they got _home_. And he had been more than accommodating, said he would wait forever if he had to, do whatever she asked him to. But things had been so crazy, trying to get everything and everyone back to normal, if there was even a normal to be had in Storybrooke. But he hadn't pushed her and hadn't said anything about _them _to anyone else (for which she was eternally grateful – she wasn't ready to talk to her parents about _that_).

Her attention was drawn towards her son, who was currently hugging a dark-haired man. She tried to convince herself that it was some other townsperson that she didn't know, but then he turned around and she almost fainted. It was _him_ and he was making his way towards her, with a look of awe plastered across his _scruffless (?)_ face. He had ditched the leather and the guyliner (that was kind of disappointing) and donned a black suit and tie with a crisp white shirt. As he got closer, she noted how much younger and _happier_ he looked. She could barely breathe by the time he'd reached her.

"Emma, lass you look…"

"Ridiculous?"

"Absolutely beautiful."

She was pretty sure she was blushing as bright as the fabric she was wearing. _Since when did she blush? She needed to get a hold of herself_. She itched to touch her gloved fingers to the lapel of his suit jacket.

"You clean up well. What happened to the pirate captain?"

"He's still here. Just knew well enough to listen to your father when he said to look "presentable" for this party or your mother would have my head. But, I'll let you in on a secret…"

He pulled back his jacket to show a red brocade vest underneath and winked.

Emma couldn't help but giggle (_for Christ's sake, why was she acting like a giddy fifteen year old?_) and pull at the fabric of her skirt.

"Did you know about this? Because I think it's weird that we match."

"Pure coincidence, Captain's honor."

_Lost in the lights_

_As the band plays the notes of a slow dance_

She didn't know where the evening had gone. One minute he had gotten them each a drink and the next Regina and Robin (Emma still wasn't sure when that had happened) were saying goodbye with an overtired Henry and sleeping Roland in tow (Henry had been ecstatic about another little boy around one of his houses). There were only a few stranglers lingering around at this point and the band was probably trying to kick them all out because they had started playing one last song – a slow one.

Hoo – _Jones_ was holding out his hand to lead her out to the dance floor. But she must have hesitated for a second too long because he sighed and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"It's just a dance, Emma. Trust me. Besides, there's no one left to watch, if you're shy…"

She gave him a smirk as she slipped her hand in his.

"If you let me trip, you're a dead man."

He barked out a laugh and weaved them through the empty tables towards the open space.

_The calm in your eyes_

_The perfume on your neck_

_I'm holding my ground_

_But I wanna give in_

When he put his hand on her waist and held the other out, she started to panic. _He was from the Enchanted Forest, but he honestly didn't expect her to waltz… did he?_ He must have seen the fear in her eyes, because he looked her right in the eye as he promised to take it slow. And take it slow, he did. No grand moves, just slight swaying from side to side, letting her get a feel for it. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd danced with her like this.

She looked up into his eyes again; those eyes as blue as the calm sea. She knew both could get stormy real quick, but his eyes held no anger, only _bright_ and _happy_ and _love_. She knew he did, love her that is. His confession to save Neal in Echo Cave wouldn't have worked if he didn't. _But did she actually love him?_ She definitely didn't hate him; he'd dropped everything to take her to Neverland and save her son, after having only seen him for a few minutes. He'd done everything for her. And no matter what anyone (sometimes Snow but mostly Henry) said, she and Neal were 100% done. They shared their son and were amicable, but there was too much love lost and hurt between the pair. She was finally allowed to move on.

Even though he'd changed his clothes, she could still smell the unmistakable aroma that belonged to only him; the sea and leather and something that reminded her vaguely of sandalwood. It was a scent that she'd begun to find comforting; he'd slipped past those pesky walls she'd built up and become a stable fixture in her life. She wasn't sure when it had happened, no defining moment that said she cared about him. But she had a feeling that it had started when he'd turned his ship around and come back to her. And while her head screamed at her to _run_ _and don't let him get closer_, some small corner of her broken heart was giving in to his charms and his steadfast presence and his constant encouragement and his _when I win your heart and I will win it_s.

_It's a long way to fall_

_But you're hard to resist_

'_cause I'm drunk from the potion_

_The taste on your lips_

She didn't recognize the song that was playing, but the melody had a soothing effect on her. She let herself relax and rested her head against his shoulder. She heard him sigh and felt his lips touch the top of her head. They'd stopped swaying and Emma knew what would happen if she looked at him. But that little voice was asking why _she was trying to resist him so much_. So she lifted her head and met his burning gaze, a look she'd only ever seen directed at one person. She tried to talk, but only one thing came out of her mouth:

"Killian…"

He took that as permission because he had both hands on her face and leaned down to touch her lips with his own. He started off chastely, almost afraid to break her or scare her off. When she tried to take control, he slowed her down. His left hand was holding her neck and his right was pulling her close by the waist. She let her own wander up his chest and snaked one behind his head and placed the other on his clean-shaven cheek. He tasted like rum and spices and something that was uniquely _Killian_. It was making her dizzy, but she felt strong at the same time. He was the one to break the kiss and it left them both breathless, chests heaving and eyes gleaming.

"That's can't be a one-time thing, lass."

"Like hell it was."

_And I'm ready to give love a chance_

_I'm at the edge of a cliff_

_And you've got me losing my balance_

* * *

_I'm going back to study I swear! Reviews are cool *wink wink*_


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